The right tool
Children's sermon
Object:
an assortment of tools (here I use hammer, nail, screwdriver, screws, and level)
I brought my tool chest this morning to show how the tools are used for different things. I have a hammer. (Show your hammer.) I use the hammer when I want to drive a nail into wood. The hammer is the best tool for doing something like that.
Here I have a screwdriver. (Show the screwdriver.) I use the screwdriver to screw screws into things. There are even different kinds of screws. Some require a regular screwdriver and others need a special one called a "Phillips" screwdriver. Do you think I could use a hammer to get a screw in wood? (Let them answer.) I probably could if I hit it hard enough. But I doubt that it would do a very efficient job.
Let's look at some other tools. Here I have a level. It tells me if things are level or not. It's very useful if I want something to be very flat. Do you think I could use it to drive a screw in a piece of wood? (Let them answer.) What about pounding a nail in the wood? (Let them answer.) It just wouldn't work! It would ruin the level and still not get the nail or screw in the piece of wood!
In the same way, God gives us tools to live by. We call those tools the commandments. They tell us what is right and what is wrong. One of the commandments tells us that it is wrong to kill people. So we don't kill people. Another says we should not steal from others. Another says we should set aside time for rest and worship.
We need that time for rest and worship because it helps us. It's like using a hammer on a nail or a screwdriver on a screw. It works best -- we work best when we have a time of rest and worship once a week.
One day Jesus healed a man on the day of rest and worship. Some people were very upset with him. But Jesus reminded them that healing is also good for people and that God would want people healed -- even if it was the day of rest and worship. "The Sabbath was made for humankind," he said. It is a tool that helps us live better. I am glad that God gives us tools to make life and living better for us.
Dearest God: Thank you for healing and the tools that make life better. Amen.
Here I have a screwdriver. (Show the screwdriver.) I use the screwdriver to screw screws into things. There are even different kinds of screws. Some require a regular screwdriver and others need a special one called a "Phillips" screwdriver. Do you think I could use a hammer to get a screw in wood? (Let them answer.) I probably could if I hit it hard enough. But I doubt that it would do a very efficient job.
Let's look at some other tools. Here I have a level. It tells me if things are level or not. It's very useful if I want something to be very flat. Do you think I could use it to drive a screw in a piece of wood? (Let them answer.) What about pounding a nail in the wood? (Let them answer.) It just wouldn't work! It would ruin the level and still not get the nail or screw in the piece of wood!
In the same way, God gives us tools to live by. We call those tools the commandments. They tell us what is right and what is wrong. One of the commandments tells us that it is wrong to kill people. So we don't kill people. Another says we should not steal from others. Another says we should set aside time for rest and worship.
We need that time for rest and worship because it helps us. It's like using a hammer on a nail or a screwdriver on a screw. It works best -- we work best when we have a time of rest and worship once a week.
One day Jesus healed a man on the day of rest and worship. Some people were very upset with him. But Jesus reminded them that healing is also good for people and that God would want people healed -- even if it was the day of rest and worship. "The Sabbath was made for humankind," he said. It is a tool that helps us live better. I am glad that God gives us tools to make life and living better for us.
Dearest God: Thank you for healing and the tools that make life better. Amen.
